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James Morrison has proved his fitness to new West Bromwich Albion manager Darren Moore and has been rewarded by the offer of a new contract, according to the Express and Star.

What’s the story, then?

The report states that the 46-cap Scottish international has spent pre-season attempting to prove to Moore that he is over the Achilles injury that ruled him out for much of last term and that he has finally done enough to prove he has.

Morrison’s contract reportedly ran out at the end of a campaign which saw the Baggies drop into the Championship but signing a new one would take his spell at the Hawthorns into a 12th season.

His wages are reported at a staggering £60,000 but surely Moore would offer reduced terms in light of the Baggies’ second-tier status this season.

Birmingham should swoop in

The nature of Birmingham’s transfer situation is complex with an embargo reportedly in place but no formal announcement that Garry Monk cannot bring anyone in.

Therefore, a free swoop may represent their best chance of getting a deal done and Monk should be attempting to rival West Brom’s offer to add some much-needed midfield quality alongside Mikael Kieftenbeld in the centre of the park.

The Baggies have a host of experienced midfield options, but Morrison should be a guaranteed starter at St Andrew’s and they would allow him to extend his stay in the West Midlands, just with a different club.

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According to the BBC, Stoke are close to completing a deal for Everton centre-back Ashley Williams, and the Welshman’s arrival should be the signal for Leeds to target the 6ft 1in Bruno Martins Indi.

What’s the story?

BBC Sport reports that Williams is set to have a medical at the bet365 stadium and will become new boss Gary Rowett’s seventh signing of the summer as he looks to build a squad that can fire the club straight back to the Premier League.

Williams made 24 league appearances for Everton last season after the arrival of Michael Keane brought more competition for the central defenders at Goodison Park.

The BBC also reports that Williams is now back to action and ready for the new season after he punctured a lung playing for Wales against Mexico earlier in the summer.

An opportunity

If the Potters do sign the 33-year-old this summer, they may look to offload a centre-back to balance the books. New Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa has been linked with a number of defenders this summer and missed out on Kyle Bartley to West Brom, according to talkSPORT.

Now though, the highly regarded Argentine manager should look to Stoke’s Netherlands international Bruno Martins Indi to solve his defensive frailties at Elland Road.

The 26-year-old made just 17 league appearances last season having struggled with injury, and he could be looking for a move away with the Championship perhaps not being where he wants to be this term.

While that could be the case, it shouldn’t stop Leeds making an ambitious enquiry to bring the Dutchman, valued by Transfermarkt at just £9m, to Elland Road, perhaps with an added promise that he can go next summer if they fail to win promotion.

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Everton’s primary goal before the transfer window shuts tomorrow appears to be bringing in a central defender.

Barcelona’s Yerry Mina, Manchester United’s Marcos Rojo and most recently Chelsea’s Kurt Zouma have all been linked with a move to Goodison Park (via Daily Mirror).

But as well as a new centre-back, the Toffees could also look to get a striker through the door ahead of deadline day.

The Breakdown

According to L’Equipe (via Get French Football News), Everton remain in talks with Porto to sign Moussa Marega.

L’Equipe also reports West Ham are trying to bring in Marega, but Everton must ensure they are the Premier League side who land the Mali striker’s signature.

The Merseyside club look pretty light up front with no real competition currently present for Cenk Tosun.

Should the Turkish forward get injured, manager Marco Silva will have to rely on Oumar Niasse and Dominic Calvert-Lewin to provide his Everton side with goals, which would come as a concern for the Portuguese coach.

Niasse blows hot and cold, while Calvert-Lewin’s goal record is not the most convincing. Everton’s interest in Marega, therefore, makes total sense.

The £17.1m-rated (via Transfermarkt) 27-year-old, who is a quick and strong centre-forward, managed to score 22 goals in 29 Primeira Liga appearances last season and would serve as a great alternative to Tosun.

Marega, who is also capable of playing as a second striker and right winger, is clinical in the box and his overall goal-scoring ability is exactly what the Toffees need to fire them up the table.

The start of a new Premier League season brings a lot of uncertainties, will City regain their title? How will the newly promoted clubs get on? Will all 20 managers still have a job come the end of the season?

That is why the Premier League is one of the greatest competitions in the world.

Despite all this uncertainty, there are some things as a fan that you can guarantee will happen to your club during a season.

From getting excited about the prospect of European football but finishing 7th to enduring a managerial merry-go-round, as fans we just know.

We take a look at the one thing that will happen to your team during the 2018/19 season, do you agree?

Man City Will Start Unbeaten

After beating Chelsea in the Community Shield, City will go on to be unbeaten in the league until January, with pundits and the media asking whether they can emulate Arsenal’s ‘Invincible’ season.

They will then play Newcastle away on Wednesday 30th January and lose to a Jonjo Shelvey winner.

Mourinho Will Moan About The Lack Of Signings And Injuries

Within weeks of the season starting, Jose Mourinho will begin to complain about his club’s lack of high quality signings in the transfer window and injuries. He will be forced to give Luke Shaw a game and that will be the last straw, he rants in a heated press conference before a Champions League group-stage game.

Pellegrini Will Ask Hammers Fans For More Time

With an almost brand new starting eleven, Manuel Pellegrini will struggle to ‘gel’ his players and West Ham will go on a barren run of loses. Pellegrini gets the backing from the chairmen David Gold and Sullivan, but calls a press conference asking the Hammers fans for more time.

Sky Sports Commentators Will Mention Arsene Wenger At Least Ten Times Every Arsenal Match

No matter what the result or performance, Martin Tyler’s co-commentator will make sure the name ‘Arsene Wenger’ is uttered at least ten times during a broadcast of the match to help his comparisons with Unai Emery.

Spurs’ Stadium Will Be Delayed Or Have A Boring Start

Sky Sports will have a massive countdown to Spurs’ first fixture in their new home, with at least 20 minutes of the broadcast dedicated to aerial shots of the stadium.

After all the hype, the game will be the worst in the history of Liverpool and Spurs, ending in a 0-0 draw.

There is the possibility that the stadium will be delayed and therefore Spurs fans will have to endure more fixtures at Wembley.

Wolves Will Be Called Portugal, Alot

Quips like ‘It’s like watching Portugal’ and ‘They’ve got more Portuguese players than FC Porto’ will haunt Wolves all season. They won’t care though as Ruben Neves guides his team to a top 10 finish.

Burnley Will Have Europa League Hangovers

The Turf Moor faithful will see their team on BT Sport beat Villarreal away from home on a Thursday night, but will then be forced to sit and watch their team lose to Huddersfield at home the Sunday after.

This will be a regular occurrence, seeing the club in threat of relegation come February.

Watford Will Sack Their Manager

No matter what position Watford are in the league, Javi Gracia will lose his job, probably citing mutual differences.

Ryan Sessegnon Will Be Hot Property In January Transfer Window

After scoring seven goals before Christmas, the top six will be queuing up for Ryan Sessegnon’s signature, he will be rewarded for his performances with his first senior England cap.

Maurizio Sarri Will Be Under Pressure After Early Cup Exit

Chelsea are knocked out of the League Cup by a Championship club or lose at home to Europa League minnows, which is in the middle of two horrendous results in the League.

The pressure grows on the Italian to turn things around.

Liverpool are expected to offload defender Ragnar Klavan before the end of the month as manager Jurgen Klopp wants to put faith in Joe Gomez, according to Goal.

What’s the word?

The Reds can no longer bring new faces into the squad, but they are likely to send a few in the other direction before the month is out.

Klavan is believed to be one of them, with Goal reporting that the centre-back is attracting plenty of interest from the Bundesliga.

The Estonian international, who has 124 caps to his name, has dropped down the pecking order since his 2016 switch from Augsburg.

Virgil van Dijk and Dejan Lovren are Liverpool’s first-choice centre-back pairing, while Joe Gomez and Joel Matip are likely to be next in line.

That leaves Klavan fifth choice, which suggests that a move abroad could be on the cards.

Is this a good idea?

From the player’s point of view? Absolutely.

At the age of 32, Klavan still has plenty of years left in him to play at a decent level, but opportunities will decrease if he continues to sit on the bench.

From Liverpool’s point of view, though, it may be in their best interests to keep the defender at Anfield.

Gomez has spent most of his time at Liverpool positioned at right-back, but after playing alongside Van Dijk in Sunday’s Premier League opener against West Ham United, it is clear that Klopp wants to move him more centrally this season.

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The 21-year-old has struggled with long-term injuries in the past, which is a concern, and one that could leave Liverpool in a vulnerable position if Klavan leaves.

Matip has also had injury problems recently, therefore the Reds could potentially be stretched thin at the back – an area that has dogged their progress for some time.

Liverpool have a genuine shot at the Premier League title this season, but they must make sure that their defensive demons do not come back to haunt them.

Loads of Newcastle fans are calling for Jamie Sterry to get a run in the first team after Javier Manquillo had a nightmare first game of the season against Cardiff.While the injury to Newcastle’s DeAndre Yedlin is nowhere near as bad as first feared, it did remind fans of just how thin the squad is, particularly in defence.Rafael Benitez was forced to deploy Manquillo at right back in the 0-0 draw at Cardiff, and the Spaniard had a pretty poor afternoon.22 year-old Jamie Sterry has been impressing in the youth sides, and the local lad spoke this week about his desire to play for the first team.“I feel like I’m good enough and last weekend I felt like I could have had a chance, so it was a bit disappointing. But you’ve got to keep your mental strength really high and try to be positive about it,†the youngster said after an impressive performance in the U-23s 5-0 win over Sunderland.[brid autoplay=”true” video=”280645″ player=”12034″ title=”Rafa’s Pub Facts Dodgy De Gea & Arsenal’s MiniRevolution”]“All I can do is give 100 per cent, and I asked to play in the game because I want to play football and show everyone what I can do.â€The Magpies welcome Chelsea to St. James’ this weekend in the next instalment in their brutal run of fixtures and fans all agree that Sterry should be ahead of Manquillo in the pecking order.The Magpies have conceded just two goals so far, and the defence was one of the big reasons they were able to surge up the table last season.[ad_pod ]You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

Loads of Everton fans have been reacting to this week’s major transfer rumour, as reports claim Marco Silva is a target to replace Jose Mourinho at Manchester United.

According to The Independent, Manchester United are looking to give Mourinho more time at Old Trafford, but they do have a list of names lined up to replace him.

The report claims the enigmatic United boss is “under no immediate danger” and that the Red Devils expect him to turn things around.

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However, the reports does name several potential replacements, claiming Mauricio Pochettino and Zinedine Zidane are the top targets, but that Silva is one of a number of names “who are on United’s radar”.

United moving for Silva would be pretty bizarre, but there are some comparisons between the two Portuguese tacticians, as they both arrived in England and impressed spectators with their unique tactics and plenty of charisma.

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Everton fans are bashing the links though, and some of their replies are absolutely hilarious. You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

Tottenham Hotspur released a club statement on Monday regarding the latest developments surrounding the build of their new stadium, and Spurs fans on Twitter were generally not happy with the news.

Chairman Daniel Levy confirmed in the statement that the Premier League clash with Manchester City had been moved to Monday 29 October, the day after it was originally meant to be played, so that it could be held at Wembley Stadium rather than the new ground which may still not be ready.

Thanks to UEFA rules that state clubs must only play at one home ground, all three of the Lilywhites’ Champions League group stage matches against Barcelona, PSV Eindhoven and Inter Milan will all be held at Wembley.

Spurs fans on Twitter were disappointed with the further delays and some could no longer attend the game, although others did acknowledge that the club had reduced prices for the game against City and had finally begun to open up to supporters.

Check out some of the best tweets below.

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[ad_pod ]Mesut Ozil’s current situation at Arsenal ought to be a real concern for all those involved with the club. How Unai Emery handles the treatment of the German playmaker will be one of the main early tests of his reign at the Emirates Stadium.Ozil returned to the North London club at the start of this season off of the back of a torrid summer. The 29-year-old was part of the German national team squad that crashed out of the World Cup in the group stages.It was a disaster for the national side, and despite creating a number of chances that his teammates repeatedly spurned, Ozil himself was singled out for criticism by much of the media.ÂNot long after the curtain had fallen upon the tournament in Russia, Ozil took to Instagram to announce his retirement from international football. His message cited racial discrimination he had suffered at the hands of the German Football Association, and in particular from its president, Reinhard Grindel.The backlash to this announcement has ranged from heartfelt support to further criticism of the Arsenal man from those who refute his claims.ÂEven in these early stages of the new campaign, it is clear that Ozil is still out of sorts. Against Chelsea, the German put in an utterly anonymous performance before being hauled off with more than 20 minutes still to play. In over an hour of football at Stamford Bridge, the Gunners’ No. 10 managed a mere 29 touches and didn’t play a single key pass.For the following fixture, at home against West Ham United, Ozil was ruled out with illness. However, ESPN journalist Joao Castelo-Branco reported that the German’s exclusion was in fact due to a bust up with Emery when he heard he was to be amongst the substitutes and subsequently refused to attend the game at all.

Emery has categorically denied these rumours, but it certainly seems as though things aren’t all quite right with Ozil at this time.

Since taking up the hot seat in North London, the Spanish coach has had to field plenty of questions about the wellbeing of the creative midfielder. In the aftermath of Ozil’s retirement from international football, Emery said that he wanted Ozil to feel at “home here with us – like a family†and that the club were “going to help him feel goodâ€, as reported by the BBC.

Although Emery’s English is still very much a work in progress, he will have known that those were particularly emotive words to use when talking about his player’s condition. Emery’s words suggested that Ozil was, understandably, struggling in some way. He likely still is, which may well be affecting his form on the pitch.

If Ozil has returned from illness in time to face Cardiff City this weekend then it will be fascinating to see if he is included from the off. If he is, it would be a big indication that Emery is prepared to invest his faith in the German, and that kind of vote of confidence could be exactly what Ozil needs following the intense criticism he has faced in recent months.

However, beyond issues of form, confidence and fitness, the question remains as to whether or not Ozil actually even suits the style of play Emery is currently attempting to implement at the Emirates.Â

The manager has made no secret of his desire to build an Arsenal team that presses hard and high up the pitch, and works together as a cohesive defensive unit. In Emery’s teams, everyone is expected to fully understand and commit to their defensive duties.

Ozil’s attributes, for all of his undeniable technical excellence, may not be conducive to this style of football. The former Real Madrid man must prove that he can function effectively within Emery’s tactical set up. The boss is extremely unlikely to be willing to compromise upon his principles in order to accommodate the midfielder.

Should it prove that Ozil doesn’t fit into Emery’s system, the consequences for the club could be disastrous. The ink is barely dry on Ozil’s current contract with the club, which is worth £350,000-a-week, according to The Telegraph. The deal runs until 2021. The idea of the German being surplus to requirements at this stage is not one the club will wish to countenance.

Arsenal’s options for offloading Ozil appear thin on the ground. Of all the clubs in world football who could afford his transfer fee and wage package, almost every single one already has a star player in his position. What’s more, Ozil is currently out of form and not exactly living up to his wages, so it would make no sense for another club to take such a risk on a player approaching 30.

This state of affairs leaves Arsenal, and Emery, with no real choice other than to make Ozil work well within this team. This process of integration may require faith and patience, but if Ozil can come good for Arsenal then he remains a player capable of leading them to silverware.Â

Whilst he shouldn’t be pandered to, the team set up can be designed so as to get the best out of Ozil. Playing him in his preferred central position and surrounding him with mobile players he can combine with is a must.Â

Without doubt, Emery faces a challenge to get the best out of Ozil this season, and failure is simply not an option.Â

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Mousa Dembele’s disappointing performance in the 2-1 defeat to Watford in Tottenham Hotspur’s previous Premier League match suggested that his time as a regular starter for the north London outfit is coming to an end, with the search for his long-term replacement surely already underway.

Known for his quality on the ball, strength and his ability to dribble and get himself out of tight situations, he will leave a huge void in the middle of the park for Spurs, who face leaders Liverpool at Wembley on Saturday, when he eventually does leave.

While he was heavily criticised by his own supporters on Twitter following a below-par display against the Hornets earlier this month, he will still undoubtedly go down as a club legend – at least in the modern era.

Mauricio Pochettino may well already be thinking about possible players that could come in and strengthen his side’s midfield, and perhaps he should be taking a closer look at one of Dembele’s Belgium teammates in Youri Tielemans, who currently plies his trade for Monaco in Ligue 1.

The 5ft 9in tall ace started alongside Axel Witsel in the middle of the park for Roberto Martinez’s men as they beat Iceland 3-0 in their latest UEFA Nations’ League fixture, and he made a big impact.

The 21-year-old, who earned a move to France following an outstanding 2016/17 campaign for Anderlecht in which he scored 18 goals and provided a further 15 assists in 53 appearances in all competitions, showed his quality in his nation’s latest success.

A passing accuracy of 86% shows the quality he has on the ball, while the fact that he made two key passes and produced six accurate long balls proves he would make a difference in the final third for Tottenham.

Meanwhile, he didn’t shirk his defensive responsibilities either – as Dembele mustn’t do under Pochettino – making four tackles and producing two clearances, as per WhoScored.

The fact that Tielemans plays for Monaco means that he shouldn’t cost an extortionate fee, and he looks to have all of the ingredients to be the club’s ideal Dembele successor.

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